Wednesday, August 28, 2013

I am a fan of the New Zealand Mint Lunar Series Coins, you can see my previous articles on their 2013 lunar snake coins and 2012 lunar dragon coins. They produce some great designs and some even better packaging in which to display their coins, but their designs tend to lack consistency. For example the ingot presentation case release in 2012 was a beautiful round gilded dragon, but in my opinion was spoiled the next year with the 2013 snake which was coloured and oval shape (although they did produce a gilded snake in alternative packaging). They've gone back to the round gilded design this year in the ingot shaped box and in my opinion the design looks like a winner.

2014 Year of the Horse 1/2oz Silver Coin

2014 Year of the Horse 1oz Gold Plated Silver Coin

2014 Year of the Horse 1oz Gold Plated Silver Coin

Metal: 999 Fine Silver

Finish: Proof / Selectively Plated

Weight: 1 Troy Ounce

Denomination: $2

Country of Issue: Niue

Mintage: 5,000

The images were provided courtesy of Maggie's Bullion, preorders will likely be taken in the near future. I have purchased coins through Maggie in the past (including the New Zealand Mint Gilded Dragon and it has always been a smooth transaction). I will likely put in an order for the gilded coin above, the dragon release from a couple of years back is stunning:

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Mostly this blog covers the lunar coin releases, but given the popularity of lunar coins we've seen PAMP introduce a series of bars, titled 'Lunar Calendar Series'. This is the third in the series (following dragon and snake) and in my opinion the new design trumps the earlier bars...

They are minted in unlimited quantity, but each bar comes in CertiPAMP packaging which lists the certificate number (the case also provides protection from scratches and peace of mind the bar hasn't been tampered with) . The PAMP Lunar Horse Bars are available in Silver (10g, 1oz & 100g) and Gold (5g, 1oz & 100g). See below for images (click them to enlarge) and these bars can be purchased from Bullion Money.

Of the lunar coins we can expect released over the next 12 months, it’s my opinion that the 1oz silver bullion lunar coin from Perth Mint is the best coin to purchase for those seeking a financial return (for investment). They have a low maximum mintage, an aesthetically pleasing design, a quality finish, are individually capsuled for protection, come with legal tender status from world renowned Perth Mint, are priced as bullion coins on release and are sought after by coin investors and collectors all over the world. If you expect the price of silver to continue appreciating over the long term, then they are a great option for exposure to the spot price, but come with the potential for a numismatic premium once sold out at the Perth Mint.

Although I think the 1oz bullion coin from Perth Mint is the best lunar coin to purchase (for future increase in value), I only think it's only worth buying if you pay a reasonable premium today. As it stands the standard A$10 premium on Perth Mint 1 ounce bullion coins (from the mint, there are volume breaks) is higher than many other mints and 37% premium to spot price (A$26.75). However, a lower premium circa $5-7 is usually possible given dealer discounts.

Most Perth Mint distributors have decided to increase the premium they charge customers on the 1oz mintage limited horse simply because the demand is there. In Australia thats resulted in a $11 (41%) premium ($1 over maximum Perth Mint premium direct, $4-6 over the usual premium they might charge on 1 ounce coins), with Gold Stackers being an exception.

US dealers such as APMEX & Gainesville have come out with prices around US$38-40 for the 1oz bullion lunar horse coin... at current spot price (US$24.20) that's around a 57-65% premium. In my opinion that's pushing the boundaries on what constitutes a fair price and what an investor should pay for a coin that is yet to even be officially released by Perth Mint (and where it's not yet sold out).

When released the 2012 1oz bullion dragon coin shot up to $100+ on the secondary market for a brief period of time, but then pulled right back and now sells for around $40-50.

Don't pay too much for 2014 Perth Mint Lunar Year Of The Horse Silver 1oz Coins! You may be better off buying other sizes such as the 2oz, 5oz or 10oz coins (available to preorder now via Bullion Money) or wait for the Perth Mint to open up sales of the 1oz coin via their bullion website (Perth Mint Bullion), but I don't expect they will last more than a day or two there.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

As mentioned in a post a few days ago, the embargo for images of the Perth Mint '2014 Australian Lunar – Year of the Horse' Series (II) Coins ends today, so without further ado here are the images (click images to enlarge):

2014 Perth Mint Lunar Year Of The Horse Silver & Gold Bullion Coins

I'm interested in your opinions, so post what you think of the coin designs in the comment section below the post. In my opinion the design for the Gold coin is the best so far in Series II (of all the coins) and the Silver coin looks fantastic also, here is a photo of the 1 ounce Silver coin in the flesh:

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Below are the details of the 2014 Year of the Horse Coin releases from Royal Australian Mint. Normally I would only cover Gold & Silver bullion releases, but the first coin I have made an exception for as it's a unique looking coin (2014 50c Tetra-decagon Horse Coin) even though minted in CuNi:

2014 50c Tetra-decagon Horse Coin

2014 50c Uncirculated Tetra-decagon Coin Lunar Series Year of the Horse. Available from the Royal Australian Mint. Exciting and extroverted, vivid and animated, people born in the year of the horse are said to be bursting with energy – the life of any party they attend. It is with this description in mind that the Royal Australian Mint is pleased to announce the third release in the innovative tetra-decagon series, the Lunar Year of the Horse coin. The reverse design features an artistic impression of an unbridled horse cavorting through fields of flowing grass, with the traditional Chinese character for ‘horse’ in the sky. This uncirculated coin is struck on cupro nickel and presented in a beautifully coloured card. Mintage Unlimited.

2014 $1 Silver Proof Horse coin

2014 $1 Fine Silver Proof Coin Year of the Horse Lunar Series. Available from the Royal Australian Mint Shop. In 2014, we acknowledge those born under the sign of the Horse. Exciting and extroverted, vivid and animated, people born in the year of the horse are said to be bursting with energy – the life of any party they attend. The coin will be struck in fine Silver – and will serve as either a valuable addition to the lunar collector or a precious stand-alone keepsake. 11.66 Grams of Silver, Mintage 10,000 coins.

2014 $10 5oz Silver Horse

2014 $10 5oz Silver Proof-like Coin Year of the Horse Prestige Lunar series. Available from the Royal Australian Mint shop. This will be a year of great energy and power as the high spirited horse takes centre stage. Gifted with many talents, those born in the year of the horse are trustworthy, friendly and open-minded. The 5oz silver coins will feature the ‘Kicking Horse’ design, popular in Chinese art during the Ming Emperor Chénghuá period 1465-87. The coin will be presented in a leatherette case. Mintage 5,000 coins.

2014 $30 1kg Silver Horse

2014 $30 1kg Silver Proof-like Coin Year of the Horse Prestige Lunar series. Available from the Royal Australian Mint shop. This will be a year of great energy and power as the high spirited horse takes centre stage. Gifted with many talents, those born in the year of the horse are trustworthy, friendly and open-minded. The 1kg Silver coin will feature the ‘Eight Horses’ of Má Wáng, renowned for having carried the fifth ruler of the Zhou Dynasty ,King Mu 1023-957 BCE. The coin will be presented in a leatherette case with a certificate of authenticity. Mintage 1,500 coins.

2014 $10 Gold Proof Horse Coin

2014 $10 Gold Proof Coin Year of the Horse Lunar Series. Available from the Royal Australian Mint shop. Since 2007 the Royal Australian Mint has celebrated each Lunar Year by releasing coins depicting each animal of the Chinese Zodiac Calendar.In 2014, we acknowledge those born under the sign of the Horse. Exciting and extroverted, vivid and animated, people born in the year of the horse are said to be bursting with energy – the life of any party they attend. The coin will be struck in 1/10 oz gold – and will serve as either a valuable addition to the lunar collector or a precious stand-alone keepsake. 1/10 ounces of Gold, Mintage 2,500 coins.

2014 $100 1oz Gold Horse

2014 $100 1oz Gold Proof-like Coin Year of the Horse Prestige Lunar series. Available from the Royal Australian Mint shop. 2014 will mark the Year of the Horse. This will be a year of great energy and power as the high spirited horse takes centre stage. Gifted with many talents, those born in the year of the horse are trustworthy, friendly and open-minded. The 1oz Gold coin will feature the ‘Eight Horses’ of Má Wáng, renowned for having carried the fifth ruler of the Zhou Dynasty ,King Mu 1023-957 BCE. The coin will be presented in a leatherette case with a certificate of authenticity.

----------------------------------------

Although they are not
cheap coins (like most of the proof/premium lunar coins that are covered
on this blog), this is a lineup of some great looking coins! Click the
link to the Royal Australian Mint shop under each coin to go to the
product page for extra information including prices.

Don't forget the images for the Perth Mint Lunar Coins will be released on this site in less than 2 days (1 minute after the embargo ends):

Monday, August 19, 2013

Horse Jade Lunar Year 2 Oz Silver Coin 2000 Kip Lao Laos 2014

Horse Jade Lunar Year 2 Oz Silver Coin 2000 Kip Lao Laos 2014

Available from Power Coin: After the great success in 2011, 2012 and 2013, the fourth Lunar Silver coin with a real Burmese Jade insert, this magnificent piece celebrates the Year of the Horse. Minted from two ounces of .999 fine silver, the devices are gilded in 24 carat gold. Total mintage worldwide was limited to 2.888 pieces. Comes as issued with a beautiful presentation case and a Certificate of Authenticity.

Available from Power Coin: The third issue of Lunar series 'Mother of Pearl' following the successful release of the word's first Lunar Silver coin with real mother of pearl in 2012 (Dragon) and in 2013 (Snake), this issue celebrates the Year of the Horse. This 5 oz coin consists of pure silver 999 with a mintage strictly limited to only 888 pieces worldwide.

2nd September 20132014 Australian Lunar – Year of the Horse Gold Bullion Coin Series2014 Australian Lunar – Year of the Horse Silver Bullion Coin Series (1/2oz, 1oz & 2oz)2014 Australian Kookaburra Silver Bullion Coin Series

1st October 20132014 Australian Lunar – Year of the Horse Silver Bullion Coin Series (5oz, 10oz & 1 kilo)2014 Australian Kangaroo Gold Bullion Coin Series

5th November 20132014 Australian Koala Silver Bullion Coin Series

I assume the Perth Mint is splitting the release dates for the different sized bullion lunar coins to avoid the issues experienced in previous years where they were unable to keep up with demand for all sizes on initial release.

Note that to purchase the above coins directly through Perth Mint you will need to register on their bullion site: http://www.perthmintbullion.com or alternatively you can purchase through other dealers who offer the coins.

Here are the numismatic lunar releases we can expect to see from Perth Mint on September 3rd (we may not see all released on this date, some may come later):Australian Lunar Series II 2014 Year of the Horse 1/2oz Silver Proof CoinAustralian Lunar Series II 2014 Year of the Horse 1oz Silver Proof CoinAustralian Lunar Series II 2014 Year of the Horse 2oz Silver Proof CoinAustralian Lunar Series II 2014 Year of the Horse 1 kilo Silver Proof CoinAustralian Lunar Series II 2014 Year of the Horse Three-Coin SetAustralian Lunar Series II 2014 Year of the Horse 1/10oz Gold Proof CoinAustralian Lunar Series II 2014 Year of the Horse 1/4oz Gold Proof CoinAustralian Lunar Series II 2014 Year of the Horse 1oz Gold Proof CoinAustralian Lunar Series II 2014 Year of the Horse Three-Coin SetThe Australian Lunar Series II 2014 Year of the Horse 2oz Silver Proof Coin released separately will continue the: Australian Lunar Series II 2oz Silver Proof Coin Collection

The above set was released last year (with the previous Series II coins supplied in the ) to the dismay of some collectors who liked that the 2oz Silver proof coin was only available in the Three-Coin set previously.You will want to be refreshing this page (Latest Releases) at the time of release if wanting to secure some of the popular Silver proof coins, I have no doubt the 1oz Proof Lunar Horse and Three-Coin Set will be very popular and sell out quickly. Personally I will be sticking with 1oz bullion coins, as outlined in my post from the other day, I think they are the safest bet with long term potential when purchased at prices much closer to spot:

As discussed in that post, images of the Perth Mint Lunar Horse Coin designs have not yet been released, but I will be publishing them on this blog at 12.01am AEST on August 22nd (day the embargo finishes), so stay tuned and if you want to receive the images by email, you can signup to free updates: [CLICK HERE] To subscribe to blog updates via email (free).

Monday, August 12, 2013

To add to the existing 2014 Lunar Horse Coin releases I have been following comes these releases available from European dealers...

Horse Five Elements Lunar Year 1 Oz Silver Coin $2 Tokelau 2014

Horse Five Elements Lunar Year 1 Oz Silver Coin 2$ Tokelau 2014

This particular oval coin celebrates the Year of the Horse. Minted from one ounce of .999 fine silver, total mintage worldwide was limited to 2014 pieces. Comes with a beautiful presentation case and a Certificate of Authenticity. Available from Power Coin

France - 50 Euro gold coin PROOF, Year of the Horse, 2014

The description for the above two coins reads as follows: The Horse is the 7th animal in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. People born in the Year of the Horse are said to be libertarian, creative, emancipated, intelligent, generous and loyal to their friends. The obverse of the coin depicts a Horse within a decorative frieze as well as the Chinese ideogram for the Year of the Horse.

The maximum mintage on the two coins from France is not clear, but if following the lead of some of the previous releases from Monnaie de Paris then we can expect the Silver coin may have a maximum mintage of 10,000 and the Gold coin a maximum mintage of 1000. You can see some of the previous releases listed on Talisman Coins.